Dear Deacon John,
Although
the campaign has ended … we’re still receiving information from our
hard-working local coordinators. Through 40 days of prayer and fasting,
we have so far received reports of ...
... 476 babies saved from abortion (that we know of)!
Add that to the number of babies who were saved during all previous 40 Days for Life campaigns ...
... and the total is now 8,012 babies whose lives were spared!
The Lord has truly heard and answered your prayers!
I'm going to take a bit of a break from the email, but I do want to pass along a few more campaign updates, as well as a bonus devotional as we give thanks to God for another 40 days of miracles!
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
... 476 babies saved from abortion (that we know of)!
Add that to the number of babies who were saved during all previous 40 Days for Life campaigns ...
... and the total is now 8,012 babies whose lives were spared!
The Lord has truly heard and answered your prayers!
I'm going to take a bit of a break from the email, but I do want to pass along a few more campaign updates, as well as a bonus devotional as we give thanks to God for another 40 days of miracles!
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Claire
in Cherry Hill sent along a photo with Bishop Dennis Sullivan of the
Catholic diocese of Camden leading prayer at the Cherry Hill vigil ...
and she also shared a story that really gets to the heart of the
abortion mindset that has overtaken our culture.
A young woman was brought to the abortion center by her mother, father and sister. She had three children under the age of 6 and was pregnant again. The children had different fathers. One is in jail. One had simply vanished.
One of the volunteers handed some literature to the woman's mom, and begged her to get that information to her daughter, who had already gone inside. The woman's sister then came out, and the same volunteer pleaded with her to just get her pregnant sister out of that place. So she went back in.
Other vigil participants continued to pray.
A bit later, the young woman and her sister came out crying. "You saved a life today!"
"The entire family is joyful this baby will be born," Claire said. "This story illustrates the sad fact that the abortion mentality is deeply ingrained in our society. None of the family members really wanted to have it done, but felt it was the 'responsible choice.' Please keep this woman, her family and our country in your prayers."
Nashville, Tennessee
A young woman was brought to the abortion center by her mother, father and sister. She had three children under the age of 6 and was pregnant again. The children had different fathers. One is in jail. One had simply vanished.
One of the volunteers handed some literature to the woman's mom, and begged her to get that information to her daughter, who had already gone inside. The woman's sister then came out, and the same volunteer pleaded with her to just get her pregnant sister out of that place. So she went back in.
Other vigil participants continued to pray.
A bit later, the young woman and her sister came out crying. "You saved a life today!"
"The entire family is joyful this baby will be born," Claire said. "This story illustrates the sad fact that the abortion mentality is deeply ingrained in our society. None of the family members really wanted to have it done, but felt it was the 'responsible choice.' Please keep this woman, her family and our country in your prayers."
Nashville, Tennessee
Roy
in Nashville related the story of a couple that spoke to prayer
volunteers before they walked into the abortion center. They weren't
inside very long before they came back out. They told the counselor that
they were keeping their baby.
Roy also cited the importance of having a pro-life pregnancy help center near the abortion facility. Two women went into the pregnancy center by mistake - they thought it was the abortion business!
"They both decided to keep their babies," he said. "God has really blessed us this campaign. May God be praised!"
Southfield, Michigan
Sometimes, we don't hear the whole story. Sometimes, all we hear is the happy ending. Mike in Southfield shared "the wonderful words we heard as a young family got in their car to leave the abortion center."
"I'm not doing this. I can't!"
Mike responded, "Praise the Lord!"
Praise Him indeed for happy endings! Here's today’s devotional from Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life.
Day 41 intention
Pray that the witness of 40 Days for Life bears abundant fruit, and that we begin again each day to storm the gates of hell until God welcomes us into the gates of heaven.
Scripture
On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.
-- Matthew 16:18
Reflection by Fr. Frank Pavone
When we read this verse, we usually think that the Lord is promising that the church, which is His Body, will withstand all the attacks launched against it. Of course, that is true.
But when we think about it more carefully, we realize that in a battle, the gates do not run out into the battlefield to attack the enemy. Rather, they stand still to defend the city from the enemy attacking it.
So when the Lord says that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church, who is doing the attacking? It is the church storming the gates!
The church, all of God's people in Christ, is called to take the offensive, to run into enemy territory, and to gain ground for Jesus Christ. We do not wait for an invitation; we already have a command. We prepare, but we do not wait for circumstances to be perfect; we already have one who has gone before us.
During these 40 days, we have stormed the gates. We have taken the offensive. We have pushed forward the boundaries of the kingdom. And we must keep doing so, in numerous ways.
Indeed, the gates of hell will not prevail. The gates of falsehood will flee in the presence of truth. The gates of sin will melt in the presence of grace. The gates of death will fall in the presence of the church, the People of Life!
Prayer
Father, we praise you. We have heard the voice of your Son, and therefore we can make our voices heard. We have done battle with the power of evil, and therefore we can have compassion on those still within its grip. We have been freed from the kingdom of darkness, and therefore we can bear witness to your Kingdom of Light.
May the witness of all your people through these 40 Days for Life bear abundant fruit, and may we begin again each day to storm the gates of hell until You welcome us into the gates of heaven. We pray in the victorious name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Printable devotional
To download today's devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:
http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2013day41print.pdf
Roy also cited the importance of having a pro-life pregnancy help center near the abortion facility. Two women went into the pregnancy center by mistake - they thought it was the abortion business!
"They both decided to keep their babies," he said. "God has really blessed us this campaign. May God be praised!"
Southfield, Michigan
Sometimes, we don't hear the whole story. Sometimes, all we hear is the happy ending. Mike in Southfield shared "the wonderful words we heard as a young family got in their car to leave the abortion center."
"I'm not doing this. I can't!"
Mike responded, "Praise the Lord!"
Praise Him indeed for happy endings! Here's today’s devotional from Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life.
Day 41 intention
Pray that the witness of 40 Days for Life bears abundant fruit, and that we begin again each day to storm the gates of hell until God welcomes us into the gates of heaven.
Scripture
On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.
-- Matthew 16:18
Reflection by Fr. Frank Pavone
When we read this verse, we usually think that the Lord is promising that the church, which is His Body, will withstand all the attacks launched against it. Of course, that is true.
But when we think about it more carefully, we realize that in a battle, the gates do not run out into the battlefield to attack the enemy. Rather, they stand still to defend the city from the enemy attacking it.
So when the Lord says that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church, who is doing the attacking? It is the church storming the gates!
The church, all of God's people in Christ, is called to take the offensive, to run into enemy territory, and to gain ground for Jesus Christ. We do not wait for an invitation; we already have a command. We prepare, but we do not wait for circumstances to be perfect; we already have one who has gone before us.
During these 40 days, we have stormed the gates. We have taken the offensive. We have pushed forward the boundaries of the kingdom. And we must keep doing so, in numerous ways.
Indeed, the gates of hell will not prevail. The gates of falsehood will flee in the presence of truth. The gates of sin will melt in the presence of grace. The gates of death will fall in the presence of the church, the People of Life!
Prayer
Father, we praise you. We have heard the voice of your Son, and therefore we can make our voices heard. We have done battle with the power of evil, and therefore we can have compassion on those still within its grip. We have been freed from the kingdom of darkness, and therefore we can bear witness to your Kingdom of Light.
May the witness of all your people through these 40 Days for Life bear abundant fruit, and may we begin again each day to storm the gates of hell until You welcome us into the gates of heaven. We pray in the victorious name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Printable devotional
To download today's devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:
http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2013day41print.pdf
For Life,
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SHAWN CARNEY
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life
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PS: What's next for you? For your community's 40 Days for Life effort? Please share your story by leaving a comment at today's blog entry:
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=5187
